Mystery At Devil's Paw Part 15

However, both he and Frank were startled when one of the men straightened up and leaned on his detector. "What a wild-goose chase!" the man said. He wore khaki trousers and s.h.i.+rt to match, open at the neck. A dark-green woodsman's cap was pulled low over his eyes.

"Yeah," another man said. "It doesn't make sense. What could they drop out of an airplane that was so valuable?"

"Oh, them foreigners don't give you any answers," a third man spoke up. "They're pretty clever, and after all, they're payin' us enough."

"Not enough to keep this poor guy tied up," another of their members called from across the glen. Then he sang out, "Say how are you, skipper?"

A voice sounded from behind a large tree ten yards ahead of the Hardys. "Let me go, will you, fellows? Maybe I can help you out of the mess you're in."

"Robbie!" Frank whispered.

"And these fellows are Americans!" Joe said.

"I don't get it! Where did the foreigners go?"

"I don't know that," his brother replied. "But 166 I believe these men are working for the gang. Maybe we can persuade them to come over on our side."

Fleetfoot, who had pressed close to the brothers, whispered, "No. Don't do that. These men no good. Loafers. Hang around dock at Ketchi-kan."

Frank and Joe decided to take their friend's advice. Even though the men who were scouring the woods with the mine detectors might not be out-and-out criminals, still the capture of the Hardys might be a feather in their cap.

"They might even hold us for ransom," Joe said.

Frank thought they could free Robbie and make a getaway by stealth. Fortunately, the six searchers moved farther from the spot where the captive pilot sat.

"Easy now!" Joe cautioned the others. "Don't scare Robbie. He might yell!"

The three companions inched along the ground, using every blade of tall gra.s.s as cover until they came up behind the tree from which Robbie's voice had emanated.

"Robbie! Robbie!" Robbie!" Frank whispered hoa.r.s.ely. Frank whispered hoa.r.s.ely.

"Wha-!"

"s.h.!.+"

But Robbie's startled outcry had alerted the fellow with the green cap. "What'd you say, skipper?"

167 "Why don't you let me go?" Robbie called back promptly. Then in a hushed voice, he added, "Frank, Joe! Is that you?"

"Yes," Frank whispered. "Be quiet. We're trying to get you out of here."

Frank peered around the side of the tree. Robbie's hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound with leather thongs.

"Lie down," Frank said, "and stretch out as if you're taking a nap."

Robbie did as he was instructed, holding his wrists and ankles close to the sides of the tree. In the dim light the hands of Frank and Joe were barely visible as they reached around to cut the bonds of the helicopter pilot.

Robbie moved his arms and legs slowly so as to regain circulation. This accomplished, he slithered around the tree, unnoticed by the gang. Then, with the tree as a s.h.i.+eld, he stood up. Fleet-foot motioned the three to follow and they set off at a rapid pace through the underbrush.

At first Robbie had difficulty keeping up with the boys because of cramps in his legs.

These, however, were soon worked out as he jogged swiftly along beside his rescuers.

Now the boys were breathing hard as they hurried through the tangled woods. Part of the story of what had happened came out when, panting, the four stopped for a short rest.

"They haven't discovered you're missing yet,"

168 Joe said. Then he added, "Who are those fellows, Robbie?"

"Renegades from down the coast somewhere. They're working for those foreigners. Oh, I'd like to get my hands on that guy who kidnaped me!"

"What was his name?" asked Frank.

"Remus-or something like that."

"Remo Stransky!" Frank exclaimed, recalling his hunch.

"You were right," Joe said. "How did he get away with it?" he asked the pilot.

"Pushed a gun in my back just as I was about to take off for the glacier to pick up you boys."

"But what about the package dropped to us by the airplane?" Joe asked, perplexed.

"Remo bragged that a friend would do that," Robbie told them, "just to throw you off the trail."

"Did you write the note?"

"Yes. I was forced to."

Now Fleetfoot spoke up. "You know what these men look for?"

"No. Not exactly. Something very important."

Robbie told them that his foreign captors insisted that one of their country's airplanes had dropped valuable cargo by mistake. The United States government wouldn't co-operate in helping them find it, they had claimed. "So," concluded Robbie, "they decided to take matters into their own hands."

169 "What a phony story!" Joe declared. "I'll bet a riverful of salmon they're looking for that moon rocket."

Just then shouts of angry men echoed through the darkening woods.

"They've found out you've escaped!" said Frank. "Come on! Let's go!"

Like a slender brown ghost, Fleetfoot led them racing through the woodlands along a trail barely perceptible in the gloom. Five minutes later the cries of their pursuers were lost in the distance.

"We've shaken them," Joe said.

"Don't be too sure," his brother cautioned. He turned to Robbie. "Do they have a radio?"

"Yes. A strong sending set."

"Then they'll report this to Stransky," Frank said. "We've got to be extra careful."

The four jogged along at an easier pace and the helicopter pilot told more of his story.

"The foreign gang, hunting for this lost valuable in the woodlands, had come upon the Indian grave houses and rifled them."

Robbie related that he did manage to drop his sweater and break the tree branch to mark the trail without his captors noticing. "They got careless about watching me," he went on. "Too busy looking for a spot to stash the loot."

Frank interrupted. "They found it-in the thunderbird totem."

Robbie was amazed. "How'd you find out?"

170 The Hardys gave him a brief account of Joe's accidental discovery. The gang, Robbie said, had also come upon the hiding place by chance. "And that salmon-poaching business," he added, "was just a cover-up for this giant search."

The flier was delighted to hear that the boys had brought cans of aviation fuel and cached them near the riverbank.

"We'll be there soon," Frank declared.

It was decided that the boys would leave their canoes, as well as the treasure, hidden, and take off with Robbie in the helicopter.

"Now that we know where these fellows are," he said, "a flying police detail can help us round them up."

Skirting Devil's Paw at a safe distance, the four made their way down the steep slope toward Robbie's helicopter. The moon had come up, and cast a luminous glow on the sides of the craft.

"Well, here she is safe and sound," Robbie said, putting his foot on a rung at the side of the helicopter. He was just about to lift himself up to the cabin when a sudden swis.h.i.+ng sound filled the air. Frank, Joe, and Fleetfoot, poised behind the pilot, whirled about.

"Look out, Frank!" Joe called as he saw the dim figures of five men leap suddenly out from the shadow of a boulder.

At the same time a large fish net fell over the heads and shoulders of Frank and the Indian boy!

CHAPTER XX.

Aerial Roundup with cries and whoops the five attackers rushed upon the boys. Frank and Fleetfoot, entangled in the net, could offer little resistance as the a.s.sailants fought to subdue Joe and Robbie. Both retaliated furiously, but the odds were insurmountable.

In five minutes all four companions lay exhausted on the ground. Their hands had been tied behind them by the gloating victors.

As one of the gang examined the bonds, he rasped in English, "Nice work with the net, Igor. We got 'em all. Herd 'em together and tie the seine around the bunch. We have our fish."

"Remo Stransky!" Joe lunged out at him, but in vain. Stransky stepped back and laughed in the youth's face.

"Save your strength!" he taunted. "This seine is made of your American nylon and is quite unbreakable."

171.

172 "You won't get away with this," Frank cried out.

"Ah, we will." Stransky's lips curled gloatingly. "You Hardys and your two foolish friends here will never leave the forest alive to warn the police!"

"Don't be too sure of that!" Frank gritted. "Whatever happens to us, Stransky, you and your gang will be caught."

The foreign ringleader threw back his head and laughed harshly. "I'll say this much for you Hardys, you never give up. I realize that you and your helpers have found out a great deal, too much in fact, but understand this, my countrymen and I will not be cheated of success!"

The Hardys, Robbie, and Fleetfoot were searched and their hunting knives taken away.

"We'll relieve you of these," Stransky said with a sneer. "So you can't cut your way to freedom." Then he spoke into a small walkie-talkie handed to him by one of his henchmen.

"Okay, my American allies," he said. "We have snared the Hardys and the others. You will get a bonus for this." Then he added, "Keep on looking there until I instruct you further."

Stransky turned to his captives. "Come now," he said, prodding Frank. "We have no time to waste."

To his henchmen, Stransky gave crisp orders. Two of them immediately jerked the prisoners 173 around and headed them toward the trail leading up to the Devil's Paw camp. The boys stumbled along. Once Robbie fell to the ground and was roughly yanked to his feet.

Straining and sweating, he and the boys were half dragged, half shoved along the rocky trail.

It was dark by the time they reached the camp, where the four captives were pushed to the ground.

Stransky spoke again into the walkie-talkie. "a.s.semble at camp, men!"

Frank and Joe, though most uncomfortable, welcomed the opportunity to lie down.

Huddled with Fleetfoot and Robbie, they were parched and hungry.

"This is outrageous!" Robbie muttered. Struggling to his feet, he thrashed about in a vain attempt to break the nylon strands.

"Calm yourself," Stransky called out with a hoa.r.s.e laugh. Then he directed one of his men, "Guard them closely, so they don't escape while we prepare supper."

The guard, who spoke English, as well as Stran-sky's native tongue, stretched down on the ground beside the prisoners. He taunted the Hardys. "I understand you found the boss's knapsack. A lot of good it did you!"

"How did you know that?" Frank asked.

"One of our spies in Juneau found out." The guard laughed raucously. "Fis.h.!.+ Salmon in the seine! Ha-ha-ha!"

174 "You'll laugh out of the other side of your mouth," Joe muttered. "Just wait."

"Quiet!"

"What do you intend to do with us?" Frank asked.

"What usually happens to unwanted fish?" the fellow taunted with obvious enjoyment of the Hardys' discomfort. "You throw them into the ocean." Then he chortled and relaxed in the high gra.s.s.

His compatriots, meanwhile, had started a roaring campfire. The light flickered over the faces of the four prisoners who reclined glumly in the shadow of some tall bushes.

About twenty minutes later the sound of many footsteps cras.h.i.+ng through the woods brought the Hardys alert.